S4S Business Improvement Initiative

The Lancashire Procurement Cluster at East Lancashire Hospital is recognized for its innovative healthcare supply chain management, particularly through its Scan for Safety initiative.

This project enhances patient safety, operational efficiency, and inventory management using advanced barcode scanning technology, aligning with ELHT’s Safe, Personal, and Effective care policy and the GS1 Government Mandate 2024. The initiative has dramatically reduced medical errors, improved patient identification, and increased operational efficiency by streamlining processes and enhancing data accuracy.

Real-time stock visibility has improved inventory management and recall responses, reducing waste and cost.

The project has seen a significant reduction in patient safety risks and a decrease in operation cancellations due to better inventory management. Currently, the cluster is exploring the quality of device and implant data in electronic health records, aiming to improve and utilize this data for analytics.

They are working with LPC-provided data to transform it into the OMOP Standard, enhancing the comprehensiveness and usability of healthcare data. Overall, the Scan for Safety initiative has significantly improved patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and healthcare quality, making it a deserving candidate for the Healthcare Supply Chain Operations Award.